‘My four children are gone’: Grieving father holds back tears as he details hurricane’s ruin

As Hurricane Melissa rages on, devastating stories are starting to emerge from the areas worst hit by the storm: Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti.

In what began as a category five hurricane, the highest on the scale, Hurricane Melissa made landfall at New Hope, Jamaica, on October 28. With wind speeds of over 185 mph, the hurricane destroyed critical infrastructure in the country, as well as personal residences.

It’s since ravaged much of the northern Caribbean, battering both Cuba and Haiti on its way to Bermuda. Forecasters have theorised that it could finally start to die down by Friday, but the effects of the natural disaster have been widespread.

In Jamaica, this man barely escaped

At the onset of Hurricane Melissa on Tuesday, Montego Bay resident Alfred Hines, 77, found himself wading through thick mud as he attempted to outrun rising flood waters.

“At one stage, I see the water at my waist and [after] about 10 minutes time, I see it around my neck here and I make my escape,” he told Reuters on Wednesday. “I just want to forget it and things come back to normal.”

Much of the country is currently without power or electricity, making communications far and few between, but social media has already been flooded with videos of dangerous mudslides, trees being thrown around in the air, and roofs being ripped off the top of homes.

“The damage is great, but we are going to devote all our energy to mount a strong recovery,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said.

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Andrew Houston Moncure barricaded himself, his wife, and 20-month-old son in the shower at the height of the storm, telling AFP: “It was the most terrifying experience, especially with my son. The pressure is so low you struggle to breathe, and it just sounds like a freight train going over you.”

This man’s four children were killed in Haiti

At least 25 people have been killed in Haiti after Hurricane Melissa struck the island, destroying dozens of homes.⁠
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Footage also shows the devastating impacts of the storm on Cuba.⁠
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🔗 Read more: https://t.co/SAV0jVCCX7 pic.twitter.com/XgR5uBLr96

— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 30, 2025

In an interview with Sky News, grieving father Steven Guardard held back tears as he confirmed that his four kids had been killed in the chaos brought on by Hurricane Melissa. One baby was only a month old, with his other kids aged seven, eight, and four.

“All four are gone,” he said.

Steven’s story is only one of many from Haiti, with 11,000 people currently seeking refuge in shelters. At least 25 people, including 10 children, died in river floods, local authorities confirmed.

Cuba has also been battered

Before Hurricane Melissa even made landfall in Cuba, the storm caused flooding and landslides in the southeastern province of Santiago de Cuba. 735,000 residents were evacuated as a result.

“That was hell. All night long, it was terrible,” 53-year-old Reinaldo Charon said after the storm had finally passed.

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Featured image credit: Rudolph Brown/EPA/Shutterstock and Sky News